Attention

Wednesday, April 06, 2016

Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from the book The Informed Parent: A Science-Based Resource for Your Child's First Four Years.

If you haven't experienced it, no simple description will capture the feeling of deep, dizzying fatigue that can accompany the first few weeks with a newborn.

By the third child, Emily was wishing for an infant boarding school that could keep her son for those first few weeks of constant night waking and return him in a semiregulated state at about eight weeks. Well, not really, but the thought might have crossed her admittedly addled brain at 3 a.m. on several successive nights.

You might think that mothers, being the ones with the breast milk, have it the worst. But science seems to indicate otherwise.

For example, one 2013 study of 21 mother-father pairs enjoying their first infant experience found that fathers actually got less sleep than the mothers and experienced more confirmed sleepiness, as measured using wrist trackers. The study authors also found that even though the mothers got more sleep, their sleep was disturbed more often, which makes sense given their role in feeding.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has signed a controversial "religious freedom" bill into law.

The legislation, HB 1523, promises that the state government will not punish people who refuse to provide services to people because of a religious opposition to same-sex marriage, extramarital sex or transgender people.

Supporters say it protects the rights of people who are opposed to homosexuality but who now live in a country where same-sex marriage is a legal right.

Opponents say the law amounts to a state sanction for open discrimination.

In the 1940s, an elite team of mathematicians and scientists started working on a project that would carry the U.S. into space, then on to the moon and Mars. They would eventually become NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (or JPL), but here's what made them so unusual: Many of the people who charted the course to space exploration were women.

Nathalia Holt tells their story in her new book, Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars. Holt tells NPR's Ari Shapiro that the women worked as "computers."

In the 1940s, an elite team of mathematicians and scientists started working on a project that would carry the U.S. into space, then on to the moon and Mars. They would eventually become NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (or JPL), but here's what made them so unusual: Many of the people who charted the course to space exploration were women.

Nathalia Holt tells their story in her new book, Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars. Holt tells NPR's Ari Shapiro that the women worked as "computers."

Barbara Paulson was one of those women. She tells Shapiro that while her sisters were preparing to be secretaries, she took a different path. She says, "I had had quite a bit of math in high school. ... I know my mother certainly wanted us all to graduate from college, but why I veered off into this ... I can't remember. ... But I did, and it helped me get the job that I did get at JPL."

Today, Holt says, "There is hardly a mission that you can find in NASA that these women haven't touched."

(CNSNews.com) – A special report posted on the Department of Defense website presenting about the ongoing fight against the "ISIL" terrorist group in Iraq and Syria says that the operations have cost an average of $11.4 million per day since they started in August 2014.

“As of February 29, 2016, the total cost of operations related to ISIL since kinetic operations started on August 8, 2014, is $6.5 billion and the average daily cost is $11.4 million for 571 days of operations,” said the report.

(CNSNews.com) – The homosexual advocacy group Human Rights Campaign (HRC) delivered a letter to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory on Thursday following his signing into law the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act that designates public restrooms in schools and state facilities for use according to one’s biological sex, calling the legislation “discriminatory” and claiming it will make it more difficult for the state to attract the best workers and students.

“We write with concerns about legislation you signed into law this week, House Bill 2, which has overturned protections for LGBT people and sanctioned discrimination across North Carolina,” the letter said.

“We believe that HB 2 will make it far more challenging for businesses across the state to recruit and retain the nation’s best and brightest workers and attract the most talented students from across the country,” the letter said.

“It's giving in to political correctness. 'Illegal alien' is a proper legal term.”

After a two-year push by a group of college students, the U.S. Library of Congress says it will no longer use the term “illegal alien” as a bibliographical term, opting instead for less offensive terms like “noncitizen” or “unauthorized” immigration when categorizing material.

A resolution sent to the Library of Congress by the American Library Association, with whom the student group was partnered, stated, “[R]eferring to undocumented immigrants as ‘illegal’ is increasingly viewed as dehumanizing, offensive, inflammatory, and even a racial slur.”

In response, the Library of Congress announced that “the heading ‘illegal aliens’ will therefore be canceled and replaced by two headings, Noncitizens and unauthorized immigration, which may be assigned together to describe resources about people who illegally reside in the country.”

The Obama administration released a warning Monday telling the nation’s landlords that it may be discriminatory for them to refuse to rent to those with criminal records.

The Fair Housing Act doesn’t include criminals as a protected class, but the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says refusing to rent based on a criminal record is a form of racial discrimination, due to racial imbalances in the U.S. justice system.

“The Fair Housing Act prohibits both intentional housing discrimination and housing practices that have an unjustified discriminatory effect because of race, national origin, or other protected characteristics,” say HUD’s newly-released guidelines. “Because of widespread racial and ethnic disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system, criminal history-based restrictions on access to housing are likely disproportionately to burden African-Americans and Hispanics. While the Act does not prohibit housing providers from appropriately considering criminal history information when making housing decisions, arbitrary and overbroad criminal history-related bans are likely to lack a legally sufficient justification.”

This website has never cared much for billionaire industrialists Charles G. Koch and David H. Koch (a.k.a. the “Koch brothers”). We don’t hate them – and at times their political movement gets it right – but we’re smart enough to see them for what they are: Wealthy power brokers who are looking out for their own narrow economic interests.

Unlike a lot of “conservative” websites, we’ve been unafraid to criticize the Kochs and their political movement, Americans for Prosperity … (here and here). As a result, we’ve earned the “silent treatment” from AFP’s South Carolina-based movement (even though we’re ostensibly on the same side of many issues).

Now all you have to do is look at the difference in daily temperatures over the next seven days. I mean really people, this is a joke, right?

So we may start seeing snow on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, depending on who you trust. Be sure to go out and buy shovels, milk, bread and stock up on fire logs. A generator might be a good idea too.

For those of you who ask, what is your weather forecast Joe? I forecast anyone who believes anything these Idiots tell you is an Idiot as well. I predict no snow will stick to the roads. I predict there will be no school delays over the weekend. I predict Wicomico County will not put the plows on their vehicles. I predict that if it does snow it will melt by Monday.

WICOMICO COUNTY, MD – This week is when the nation recognizes the dedicated men and women who answer Americans’ calls for help at 911 centers across the country. These call takers and dispatchers provide the first critical contact for those in need of emergency services. In the midst of crises, they obtain vital information from callers in order to link them rapidly to police, firefighters, and emergency medical responders – and at times even dispense vital, lifesaving information themselves.

The Wicomico County Department of Emergency Services (DES) is celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunications Week to recognize the DES 911 call takers/dispatchers who work behind the scenes to answer calls for help every day.

The DES employs are highly trained and dedicated 911 call takers/dispatchers and the citizens and visitors of Wicomico County are the beneficiaries of their outstanding service. DES 911 call takers/dispatchers are on duty 24 hours a day, every day of the year. They work all holidays and often miss special occasions with their families. They help protect lives and property by receiving vital information and dispatching medical professionals, and fire personnel to provide direct assistance to the public. The men and women of the DES Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) are rarely seen. They are the voices who answer 911 calls and nonemergency phone lines. These men and women are in effect, first responders to each and every emergency situation in our community. They ask questions about the situation and attempt to determine risk factors that responding emergency personnel might face when they arrive on the scene. In a sense, they are a lifeline not just for the citizens in need, but firefighters and medical professionals who handle the calls.

The critical role played by the 911 call takers/dispatchers across the nation, and within Wicomico County is often underestimated. The work these dedicated men and women perform and the skills they demonstrate clearly enhance the safety of everyone in our community. It is appropriate that they are publicly recognized for what they do and how they do it.

Ioannis Agathos of Pocomoke, arrested 3-16-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Agathos was later released after posting bond.

Kenneth James Swift of Crisfield, arrested 3-17-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Swift was later held on a $1,000 bond.

Frances Madelina Bishop of Crisfield, arrested 3-21-16 on a Circuit Court indictment for manufacturing CDS, CDS possession not marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, CDS possession with the intent to distribute, and maintaining a common nuisance. Bishop was later released after posting bond.

Brandon Lee Sterling of Crisfield, arrested 3-21-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Sterling was later held without bond.

Latesia Arianna Milbourne of Princess Anne, arrested 3-22-16 on a Circuit Court indictment for CDS possession, not marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and CDS possession with the intent to distribute. Milbourne was later held on a $250,000 bond.

Liddell Vinson Ward of Salisbury, arrested 3-25-16 on a warrants for failing to appear in court. Ward was later held without bond.

Tremaine Aron Thomas Townsend of Princess Anne, arrested 3-26-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Townsend was later held without bond.

Liddell Vinson Ward of Salisbury, arrested 3-30-16 on a warrant for 4th degree burglary, theft, and removal of grocery carts. Ward was later held on a $25,000 bond.

Demar Antonio Milbourne of Princess Anne, arrested 3-30-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Milbourne was later held without bond.

Calvin Glen Handy of Salisbury, arrested 3-30-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Handy was later held without bond.

Carlus Dupree Gerald of Salisbury, arrested 3-31-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Gerald was later held on a $500.00 bond.

Eddie Turrell Evans of Pocomoke, arrested 3-31-16 for 2nd degree assault. Evans was later held on a $10,000 bond. The arrest was the result of a domestic assault investigation in the area of Woods Lane.

For some Americans, Hillary Clinton is the embodiment of a global elite which benefits from tax avoidance schemes. Bernie Sanders, her opponent, is its antithesis

The revelation that the rich and wealthy are shovelling money in overseas tax havens is not a particularly surprising one. Nevertheless, the sheer scale of the 11.5 million document leak from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonesca has whipped up an overdue storm and forced the issue of tax justice back on the agenda. It is likely that the Panama papers is just the tip of the iceberg, and if even more is revealed about the financial affairs of world leaders, the implication for global politics will be huge.

The Democratic presidential primaries in the US have been characterised by surging anger at the global elite. The Panama papers scandal will only fuel popular indignation at the actions of perceived establishment figures – those who have stood idly by and allowed this huge miscarriage of justice to take place.

Although there have been no major American casualties over the leak at this stage, all of the presidential candidates will be questioned about the scandal. And nobody is going to be under more pressure than Hillary Clinton. For some Americans, she is the embodiment of a “global elite”, while Bernie Sanders is its antithesis.

Aside from "Make America Great Again," perhaps no campaign promise has worked more to Donald Trump's advantage than his promise to "build a wall and make Mexico pay for it." The New York billionaire's commitment to enforcing the laws on the books and putting the employment priorities of blue collar Americans first is a major part of why his once improbable campaign is one of the last left standing.

But the Donald is not without his critics. Many have criticized him for failing to offer a concrete plan to make Mexico pay for the wall, alleging that this would be an absurd feat. To date, Trump's only answer has been a rather unsatisfactory appeal to his negotiating prowess.

But this week, something changed. Perhaps sensing that the pro Hillary media is about to turn up the spotlight, Trump decided to release specifics:

Donald Trump's campaign released a memo on Tuesday that said it would force Mexico to pay for a border wall by threatening to cut off billions of dollars in money transfers that Mexicans who are living in the U.S. send home.

"Mexico currently receive $24 billion in remittance payments annually from the United States. This provides substantial leverage for the United States to obtain from Mexico the funds necessary to pay for a border wall," his campaign said in a statement.

If elected president, the memo explains, Trump would threaten to change a rule under the Patriot Act to cut off some of the money Mexico receives through wire transfers. The memo said the majority of the $24 billion a year "comes from illegal aliens" that they send back to their families.

Whether or not this system is constitutional or economically practical remains to be seen. But it shows that the Trump campaign is trying to come up with constructive ways to limit the flow of non-citizens to this country. In the short term, it seems that this would encourage illegal immigration, as those no longer receiving remittances would have little reason not to risk joining their family members in the United States.

Grassroots conservatives are demanding conservatives hold the line on Merrick Garland, President Obama's so called "centrist" nominee to the Supreme Court. But some senators are suggesting they won't. As Politico reports:

First, the right pounced on Jerry Moran after the Kansas senator cracked the door open to a hearing for Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. Now, conservatives are starting to turn on John Boozman.

The Arkansas Republican will meet with Garland on Tuesday, even though he says the confirmation process should go no further than courtesy meetings. But that isn’t enough for some on the right, who are upset with Boozman for merely sitting down with Garland.

“A little more than two weeks ago, Boozman vowed to join his Republican colleagues in the Senate and oppose any Supreme Court nominee while this president is in office,” FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon said Monday. “Now he is meeting with the nominee. It makes no sense. This is not the time for squeamishness or timidity.”

The backlash is similar, though not as intense, as the firestorm that faced Moran during the recess when he told Kansas voters that Garland deserved a confirmation process. Conservatives immediately went on the attack, threatening an ad campaign and perhaps even a primary challenger for Moran, who is up for reelection this fall. The former National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman then quickly backtracked on his call for hearings.

This is the sort of nomination that should worry conservatives and libertarians alike. Garland has a record for the same sort of deference to precedent and the legislature that's made John Roberts such an unmitigated disaster on the court. Moreover, he's got a record of deference to the prosecution that should worry those worried about the expanse of police powers and the expansion of illegal NSA style surveillance programs that impact ordinary, law abiding Americans.

We encourage you, once again, to sign our petition telling members of Congress that you won't accept any nominee Barack Obama puts forth to forward his liberal agenda and undermine our Constitution.

SALISBURY, MD---The Salisbury University Sea Gulls are moving to a new home — and though the structure is significantly larger, the address is still the same.

Families, children and other community members are invited to tour the new Sea Gull Stadium on Wayne Street during an open house from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, April 7.

The event features tours of the new facility, including areas of the stadium, such as team rooms and training areas, not normally open to the public. Student-athletes sign autographs during the open house, which also includes athletic training and other demonstrations, as well as a backstage look at the Sea Gull Sports Network. Free concessions will be available, and Sammy the Sea Gull will be on hand for photos. The first 500 fans receive a special gift.

Wayne Street is expected to be closed to vehicle traffic from 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. that day.

Admission to the open house is free. For more information call 410-677-5416 or visit the SU website at www.salisbury.edu.

The refurbishing of the Wicomico County Youth and Civic Center has begun. I will attempt to keep everyone informed by posting pictures as the work continues. The below pictures is a before and after of the painting of the ceiling. What a difference a little paint made! Executive Culver

Jill Kelley — whose friendship with Gen. David Petraeus led FBI officials to investigate her background, a probe she says violated her privacy — says she doubts the agency will recommend Hillary Clinton be indicted for using a private email server during her time as secretary of state.

"I don't [think so]. You know why? Only because of one thing … This new director [James Comey] is, I heard, a very good guy, he has bosses and they're the same bosses that did this to Gen. Petraeus and my family," Kelley said Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country giant Merle Haggard, who celebrated outlaws, underdogs and an abiding sense of national pride in such hits as “Okie From Muskogee” and “Sing Me Back Home,” died Wednesday at 79, on his birthday.

Haggard’s manager, Frank Mull, said the country icon died in Palo Cedro, California, of pneumonia.TMZ reported Haggard was diagnosed with pneumonia last year and spent 11 days in the hospital.

It is quite likely former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails on her private server were read by Asian intelligence agencies, a former Homeland Security official writes at The Washington Post's Volokh Conspiracy Blog.

Though Clinton began using her home server as early as January 28, 2009, just after being sworn in, she didn't have a digital certificate supporting encryption installed until late March, writes Stewart Baker, assistant secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush.

While it is possible the two-month lag in getting encryption was "just a mistake," Baker says, "There now seems to be a very real probability that Hillary Clinton rushed to install an encryption certificate in March 2009 because the U.S. intelligence community caught another country reading Clinton’s unencrypted messages during her February 16-21, 2009, trip to China, Indonesia, Japan, and S. Korea."

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday said he was waiting for a visit by Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, after the latter said he had already proposed such a meeting.

"A few days ago, on Israeli television, I heard president Abbas say that if I invite him to meet, he'll come," Netanyahu told reporters at a meeting with visiting Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek.

"I'm inviting him again," he said in English. "I've cleared my schedule this week. Any day he can come, I'll be here."

Netanyahu's comments come after President Reuven Rivlin also said Monday he is ready to meet with Abbas.

In an interview with Channel 2 last Thursday, Abbas said that he was ready to meet Netanyahu "any time."

US-backed peace talks between the PA and Israel were torpedoed by the PA in April 2014, after Abbas signed a unity deal with Hamas.

Netanyahu and Abbas shook hands at a climate summit in Paris in November, but held no significant talks. Netanyahu has repeatedly said he is open to talk with Abbas, but that the PA chairman is refusing to talk.

A Palestinian Non-Governmental Organization, funded by UN bodies and foreign governments held a tree planting ceremony last Friday for "Land Day," in which it honored 209 "martyrs of the intifada" in a mass celebration of the recent terror wave.

The event held by the NGO, Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), was exposed by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) on Monday. PMW noted that among the "martyrs" were numerous terrorists who murdered or tried to murder Israelis since last September, in a terror surge that has left 34 dead and over 400 wounded.

PMW further revealed that UAWC is funded by UNRWA and UNDP, both UN bodies, as well as the governments of Australia, Spain, Netherlands and Japan in addition to numerous European NGOs, as recorded in UAWC's website.

"Their funding of the UAWC implicates all these institutions and organizations in the act of honoring murderers of Israelis," explained PMW, noting that it has recently exposed similar cases of UN funded groups honoring terrorists.

Before Obama there was virtually no outlandish presence of Islam in America.

• All of a sudden, Islam is taught in schools. Christianity and the bible are banned in schools.

• All of a sudden we must allow prayer rugs everywhere and allow for Islamic prayer in schools, airports and businesses.

• All of a sudden we must stop serving pork in prisons.

• All of a sudden we are inundated with law suits by Muslims who are offended by American culture.

• All of a sudden we must allow burkas to be worn everywhere even though you have no idea who or what is covered up under them.

• All of a sudden Muslims are suing employers and refusing to do their jobs if they personally deem it conflicts with Sharia Law.

• All of a sudden the Attorney General of the United States vows to prosecute anyone who engages in “anti-Muslim speech”.

• All of a sudden, Jihadists who engage in terrorism and openly admit they acted in the name of Islam and ISIS, are emphatically declared they are NOT Islamic by our leaders and/or their actions are determined NOT to be terrorism, but other nebulous terms like ‘workplace violence."

• All of a sudden, it becomes Policy that Secular Middle East dictators that were benign or friendly to the West, must be replaced by Islamists and the Muslim Brotherhood.

• All of a sudden our troops are withdrawn from Iraq and the middle east, giving rise to ISIS.

• All of a sudden, America has reduced it’s nuclear stockpiles to 1950 levels, as Obama’s stated goal of a nuke-free America by the time he leaves office continues uninterrupted.

• All of a sudden, a deal with Iran must be made at any cost, with a pathway to nuclear weapons and HUNDREDS of BILLIONS of dollars handed over to fund their programs.

• All of a sudden America APOLOGIZES to Muslim states and sponsors of terror worldwide for acts of aggression, war and sabotage THEY perpetrate against our soldiers.

• All of a sudden, the American Navy is diminished to 1917 Pre-World War I levels of only 300 ships. The Army is at pre-1940 levels. The Air Force scraps 500 planes and planned to retire the use of the A-10 Thunderbolt close air support fighter. A further draw down of another 40,000 military personnel is in progress.

• All of a sudden half of our aircraft carriers are recalled for maintenance by Obama rendering the Atlantic unguarded, NONE are in the Middle East.

• All of a sudden Obama has to empty Guantanamo Bay of captured Jihadists and let them loose in Jihad-friendly Islamic states. He demands to close the facility.

• All of a sudden America will negotiate with terrorists and trade FIVE Taliban commanders for a deserter and Jihad sympathizer.

• All of a sudden there is no money for American poor, disabled veterans, jobless Americans, hungry Americans, or displaced Americans but there is endless money for Obama’s “Syrian refugee” resettlement programs.

• All of sudden there is an ammunition shortage in the USA.

• All of a sudden, the most important thing for Obama to do after a mass shooting by two Jihadists, is disarm American Citizens.

* All of a sudden, the President of the United States can not attend the Christian Funerals of a Supreme Court Justice and a former First Lady because of previous (seemingly unimportant) commitments.

Just 0.3 percent of minors (3 out of 1000) fleeing Central America accept Mexico's offer of refugee status, deciding instead to cross into the United States to seek asylum, raising new questions about their credibility to claim that their lives are in danger.

Under fire from Human Rights Watch for granting asylum to just 52 of 16,869 unaccompanied minors caught last year, the Mexican government said that the illegals rejected help and decided instead to head into the United States or be sent back home.

"All unaccompanied girls, boys, and adolescents are offered refuge in Mexico and the INM has documented that minors reject it because their sole purpose is to reach the United States or to be reunited with their closest relatives because in Mexico they would not have the opportunity to do so," said Mexico's National Institute for Migration in a statement slamming the Human Rights Watch report.

The statement, revealed by the Center for Immigration Studies, draws into question claims by the tens of thousands of illegal minors flooding into the United States that their lives are in danger and that they need refugee status in America.

"What credibility do these minors have to claim asylum when they reach the United States, after they cross through a country which offers them refuge?" said the report from CIS, authored by Kausha Luna, who recently documented the wave of Cubans crossing into the U.S.

Maryland Has The Distinction Of Having The Most Gerrymandered Districts In The Country Due To Partisan Politics

“And let’s also come together in a spirit of bipartisanship, to protect that most fundamental right of every American citizen: the right to free and fair elections. In Maryland, we have the unfortunate distinction of being the most gerrymandered state in the entire nation. We created the Redistricting Reform Commission to fight for the nonpartisan drawing of district lines – something nearly all Marylanders are strongly in favor of. We ask you today to join with us in that fight. Help us defend that very foundation of American democracy, and set an example for the entire nation by finally making Maryland elections fair elections.” -Governor Larry Hogan, February 3, 2016

In August 2015, Governor Hogan Signed An Executive Order Establishing The Maryland Redistricting Reform Commission. “Governor Larry Hogan today signed Executive Order 01.01.2015.21, establishing the Maryland Redistricting Reform Commission. The commission, which fulfills a commitment by Governor Hogan to address Maryland’s redistricting process, will be made up of four members appointed by House and Senate leadership, as well as representatives from policy research and voter and government reform organizations. Governor Hogan directly appointed seven members of the commission, all of whom were announced today.“ (Press Release, “Governor Larry Hogan Signs Executive Order Establishing Maryland Redistricting Reform Commission,” Office Of The Governor, 8/6/15) Governor Hogan: “Through the work of this commission, my administration’s goal is to reform this process and put Maryland’s redistricting process on a new path toward transparency, fair representation, and election integrity.” (Press Release, “Governor Larry Hogan Signs Executive Order Establishing Maryland Redistricting Reform Commission,” Office Of The Governor, 8/6/15)

In January 2016, Governor Hogan Introduced Legislation Based On The Recommendations From The Redistricting Reform Commission, Which Called For A Nonpartisan Apportionment Commission. “Governor Larry Hogan today introduced legislation that will reform Maryland’s broken redistricting process and put the state on a new path toward fair representation, election integrity, and transparency. Based on recommendations from the governor’s bipartisan Redistricting Reform Commission, the administration is proposing a nonpartisan Apportionment Commission to replace the existing, governor-led redistricting process… Governor Hogan is proposing a constitutional amendment that would repeal existing provisions relating to the redistricting process, and instead create the General Assembly and Congressional Legislative Redistricting Apportionment Commission.” (Press Release, “Governor Hogan Introduces Legislation To Eliminate Gerrymandering In Maryland,” Office Of The Governor, 1/26/16) Governor Hogan: “For too long, fair elections and a healthy, strong, and competitive two-party system have been nearly impossible in our state. This is about recognizing a problem and choosing to do the right thing to solve it.” (Press Release, “Governor Hogan Introduces Legislation To Eliminate Gerrymandering In Maryland,” Office Of The Governor, 1/26/16)

Members Of Maryland’s Status Quo Political Class Will Say Anything To Stonewall Independent Redistricting

Senate President Mike Miller

Senate President Miller Opined That Members Of Congress Would Lose Their Jobs If Redistricting Reform Took Place. “A simple line change would end the career of John Delaney. Two simple line changes would end the career of John Sarbanes.” (Brian Witte, “Larry Hogan, Maryland Governor, Forms Redistricting Reform Panel,” The Washington Times, 8/7/15)

"I don't want to mischaracterize anyone's intentions, but it's not just a page, it's a chapter out of the Republican governor's playbook… It needs to be handled with uniform rules and regulations and needs to be decided by the Congress itself on how to proceed.” (Bryan Sears, “Hogan Seeks Md. Constitutional Amendment On Redistricting,” The Daily Record, 8/6/15)

Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett Packard CEO who dropped out of the GOP presidential race in February, is near the top of Ted Cruz’s wish list for his vice-presidential running mate, Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard, tells Newsmax TV.

"I'm hoping for it. I'm sort of hearing it in the sense that I was told by someone close to the Cruz campaign that Fiorina would be close to the top of the list of possible VPs," Kristol, an influential Republican insider, said Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."

Not that the Texas senator, who trails front-runner Donald Trump in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, is all that concerned about his No. 2 pick at the moment.

"They have to catch Trump first and then get to 1,237 [delegates to win the nomination]," said Kristol, who believes Cruz will win The Badger State for bonanza of 42 delegates.More

Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) insists he is not interested in being nominated as a presidential candidate even if there’s a brokered Republican convention this summer.

During an interview with Hugh Hewitt, Ryan responded to a rumored scenario where he would be chosen by delegates as a potential Republican nominee for president. But Ryan rejected the idea, urging members of the Republican establishment to stop floating the the idea.

“I do believe people put my name in this thing, and I say get my name out of that,” he said. “This is, if you want to be president, you should go run for president. And that’s just the way I see it.”

After Hewitt referred to Karl Rove’s call for a “fresh face” as the nominee, Ryan replied, “I’m not the fresh face. I’m not that person.”

He then declined, a third time, to consider the idea.

“I think you need to run for president if you’re going to be president, and I’m not running for president,” he said. “So period, end of story.”

Japan marks the fifth anniversary of the tragic and catastrophic meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant. On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami hit the northeast coast of Japan, killing 20,000 people. Another 160,000 then fled the radiation in Fukushima. It was the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, and according to some it would be far worse, if the Japanese government did not cover up the true severity of the devastation.

At least 100,000 people from the region have not yet returned to their homes. A full cleanup of the site is expected to take at least 40 years. Representative of the families of the victims spoke during Friday’s memorial ceremony in Tokyo. This is what Kuniyuki Sakuma, a former resident of Fukushima Province said:

For those who remain, we are seized with anxieties and uncertainties that are beyond words. We spend life away from our homes. Families are divided and scattered. As our experiences continue into another year, we wonder: ‘When will we be able to return to our homes? Will a day come when our families are united again?’

There are many problems in areas affected by the disaster, such as high radiation levels in parts of Fukushima Prefecture that need to be overcome. Even so, as a representative of the families that survived the disaster, I make a vow once more to the souls and spirits of the victims of the great disaster; I vow that we will make the utmost efforts to continue to promote the recovery and reconstruction of our hometowns.

“Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is pulling out all the stops — including asking for President Obama’s help — in pressing Maryland’s Democratic-majority legislature to vote on his plan for redistricting reform before lawmakers adjourn for the year on Monday. …

“Hogan has proposed placing a referendum on the November ballot that would ask voters if they want a nonpartisan commission to redraw the state’s voting boundaries, which are widely considered to be among the nation’s most gerrymandered, or manipulated to give one party an advantage.

“In a state with an extremely popular Republican governor and a 2-to-1 ratio of registered Democrats to registered Republicans, all but one of the state’s eight congressional seats is currently held by a Democrat.

“The idea of a commission is broadly popular among state residents. But Democratic legislative leaders say they won’t consider making Maryland’s system more fair unless other states, whose maps favor Republicans, do the same.

“The House and Senate held committee hearings on Hogan’s proposal more than a month ago, without ever taking a vote on whether to advance the measure. …

“Last week, the governor sent a letter to the White House requesting assistance from Obama to spur the General Assembly to act on the matter.

“’There are only days left in the legislative session, and next year, we may not have as strong an advocate in the White House as you have been on this issue,’ he wrote. ‘With your intervention, I believe we could set things right in Maryland.’ ...

“As of Tuesday, the White House had not responded to the letter. Obama has been a vocal advocate for national redistricting reform during his final year in office.

“’We have to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters, and not the other way around,’ the president said in his annual State of the Union address in January. ‘Let a bipartisan group do it.’

“Six states already use nonpartisan redistricting committees to draw their voting maps.

“But legislative leaders have balked at the idea in Maryland, where Democrats hold large majorities in both the House and the Senate and the state Constitution gives the legislature and governor authority to create congressional and legislative districts every 10 years.

“Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) have said they prefer to wait for Congress to enact national changes or for a regional agreement that involves Republican-controlled states. …

“When asked whether Hogan would consider a multi-state deal, which has been proposed by some Maryland lawmakers, aides to the governor have said the state should lead on the issue.

“’Marylanders don’t want to have to wait for action in some other state before they can get fair election districts at home,' Hogan spokesman Matt Clark said.”

The illegal immigrant charged with killing 21-year-old Sarah Root while street-racing drunk, entered the U.S. as an “unaccompanied child” three years ago, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Edwin (aka Eswin) Mejia, an illegal immigrant from Honduras, absconded after ICE declined to detain him following his arrest and posting bail. Mejia remains at-large and is currently on the ICE Most Wanted list.

In a letter to Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) responding to a series of his questions, ICE Director Sarah Saldana revealed that Mejia was initially apprehended when he entered the country illegally in 2013 but was granted the special treatment afforded to detained unaccompanied minors from noncontiguous countries, released into the U.S. and never deported.

The answer portion of Saldana’s letter reads:

In May 2013, Edwin Mejia was encountered by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) near Nogales, Arizona, after entering the United States without inspection. At the time of this encounter, Mr. Mejia was 16 years old and determined to be an unaccompanied child. Shortly after the initiation of removal proceedings against him with the issuance of a Notice to Appear, he was transferred to Department of Health and Human Services; Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), as required by law. Mr. Mejia had no recorded criminal history in the United States at this time.

“In June 2013, consistent with applicable law, ORR released Mr. Mejia to his brother in Tennessee. In early 2014, Mr. Mejia relocated with his brother to the Omaha, Nebraska area,” the missive added.

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Monday to raise the statewide minimum wage to $15-per-hour, the highest in the U.S. While admitting a $15 minimum wage made no economic sense, he said it made “moral” sense.

Brown signed a statewide increase to $10-per-hour less than two-and-a-half years ago. andopposed a new increase to $15 until pressure from unions caused him to relent. (Union contributions to moderate Democrats also helped.)

“Economically, minimum wages may not make sense,” Brown said, according to the Sacramento Bee. But “[m]orally and socially and politically, they [minimum wages] make every sense because it binds the community together and makes sure that parents can take care of their kids in a much more satisfactory way.”

The governor made no comment on what parents who cannot find jobs are meant to do to take care of their children.

As early as 1987, Trump talked publicly about his desire to run for president. He toyed with mounting a campaign in 2000 on the Reform Party ticket, and again in 2012 as a Republican (this was at the height of his Obama birtherism). Two years later, Trump briefly explored running for governor of New York as a springboard to the White House. “I have much bigger plans in mind — stay tuned,” he tweeted in March 2014.

Trump taped another season of The Apprentice that year, but he kept a political organization intact. His team at the time consisted of three advisers: Roger Stone, Michael Cohen, and Sam Nunberg. Stone is a veteran operative, known for his gleeful use of dirty tricks and for ending Eliot Spitzer’s political career by leaking his patronage of prostitutes to the FBI. Cohen is Trump’s longtime in-house attorney. And Nunberg is a lawyer wired into right-wing politics who has long looked up to “Mr. Trump,” as he calls him. “I first met him at Wrestle­Mania when I was like 5 years old,” Nunberg told me.

Thanks to inflation, the cost of basic goods has risen every decade. Today, a single apple costs nearly 50 cents. A carton of eggs runs for about $2.50 and a gallon of milk nearly $4. Even a garden-variety bottle of wine will set you back about $10 in 2016 — and we're talking about the bottom shelf at the grocery store, not a 1979 Bordeaux.

With this in mind, the data geeks at FindTheData rounded up the prices for six popular items for every year from 1940 through today. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we collected the average price of each item.*

Specifically, we tracked the cost of an apple, a pound of coffee, a pound of chicken, a dozen eggs, a bottle of wine and a gallon of whole milk.

For each year, we'll list the price of each item, as well as highlighting a famous event that defined the year. See how much these goods cost in the year you were born, then compare to the prices you see in the grocery store today.

SAN ANSELMO, CA - Gas prices are displayed at a Gas & Shop gas station on October 27, 2014 in San Anselmo, California. Gas prices have fallen to their lowest level in four years with the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline dropping to $3.08. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Every year, gas prices continue to rise and therefore make owning a car that much more expensive. Those who were set back an average of $2.51 per gallon last year long for the $0.16 Americans paid 80 years ago.

The Laurel Police Department is warning the community and surrounding areas that they have received information and documents of a scam currently being conducted. The scam is a mystery secret shopper scam is has currently started occurring in the local area.

Letters and checks have been sent that appear to be from a personal or business account, citing payment for a mystery shopper program. The letter asks consumers to deposit the check, deduct a fee as the consumer’s salary for conducting the secret shopper, and then proceed to different stores and purchase Money Grams. The money grams are for sums over a thousand dollars, which after receiving the money grams the consumer is to mail the money grams off to two separate addresses. (It should be noted that the address the letters originated from and the address the money grams are to be sent too are completely different and different states.)

The consumer is asked when they purchase the money grams, that there is certain information needed to accomplish the transaction which include names of the cashier, Name & address of the store the money gram was purchased from, and the reference number for the transfer. Once the consumer has mailed the money gram off to the addresses provided, they are then asked to email two different email addresses providing the information requested.

It’s not until several days or weeks later that when the checks are sent to the bank listed on the check, it is discovered the account is either closed or does not exist or the routing number is invalid. The checks are then returned to the consumers banks and over draft fees are incurred.

The Laurel Police are requesting anyone who receives these letters and checks in the mail to please use caution and report the incident to your local police. If you decide to cash the checks, please ensure your banking facility is aware of the circumstances and obtain their advice prior to depositing them to avoid any over draft fees.

The body of a 45-year-old Disneyland Paris technician was discovered in the theme park’s Haunted House this weekend, after what appears to be a tragic accident.Park employees found their colleague Saturday morning in the Phantom Manor and it is believed he was electrocuted. The technician worked for the park for 14 years.

The park opened as usual Saturday, although the haunted house was closed. There have been several employee deaths at Disney theme parks in the past ten years, mostly at Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Incident: Failure to Comply with a Peace Order Date of Incident: 30 March 2016 Location: 8000 block of Burnt Branch Road, Salisbury, MD Suspect: Keith Shawn Lightfoot Jr., 21, Salisbury, MD Narrative: On 30 March 2016 at 10:30 AM a deputy arrested Keith Lightfoot following an allegation he entered on to a property in the 8000 block of Burnt Branch Drive in violation of a Peace Order that prohibited Lightfoot from being on the property. Upon arrest Lightfoot was processed at the Central Booking Unit and brought in front of the District Court Commissioner who detained Lightfoot in the Detention Center in lieu of $10,000.00 bond. Charges: Violation of a Peace Order and Trespassing

Incident: Assault Date of Incident: 30 March 2016 Location: 700 block of Ebenezer Drive, Salisbury, MD Suspect: Takisha Fulisha Rubel, 39, Salisbury, MD Narrative: On 30 March 2016 at 10:43 AM a deputy arrested Takisha Rubel following an allegation against Rubel of an assault. According to the complaiant in this case, Rubel interceded in a fight between two juveniles and allegedly assaulted one of the juveniles herself. She is then accused of assaulting that juvenile’s mother when she responded to the scene also. The deputy transported Rubel to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Rubel in the Detention Center in lieu of $5,000.00 bond.Charges: Assault 2nd Degree

Incident: Extradition

Date of Incident: 30 March 2016 Location: Arlington County, Virginia Suspect: Aric J. Friel, 38, Arlington, VA Narrative: On 30 March 2016 at 2:30 PM a deputy traveled to Arlington County, Virginia for the purpose of extraditing Aric Friel back to Wicomico County. Friel was wanted on a District Court bench warrant that was issued after he violated the terms of his probation in a CDS Possession and DUI case. Friel was transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner who detained him without bond in the Detention Center. Charges: Violation of Probation

Incident: Warrant Date of Incident: 2 April 2016 Location: Quantico Road, Quantico, MD Suspect: Janelle Denise Long, 35, Salisbury, MD Narrative: On 2 April 2016 at 4:00 PM a deputy located Janelle Long on a traffic stop on Quantico Road. Long was want on a District Court bench warrant that was issued back in June 2015 after Long failed to appear for a case where she had been charged with theft and false statement to an officer. The deputy transported Long to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Who released Long on Personal Recognizance. Charges: Failure to Appear

Incident: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Date of Incident: 4 April 2016 Location: 500 block of Booth Street, Salisbury, MD Suspect: Bennie Lee Harmon, 70, Salisbury, MD Narrative: On 4 April 2016 at 10:47 AM a deputy observed a vehicle operated by a subject he knew as Bennie Harmon and the deputy was also aware from a previous encounter that Harmon did not have a driver’s license. The deputy made contact with Harmon in the 500 block of Booth Street and observed what was recognized as obvious signs of impairment, to include a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage and an inability to maintain his balance. This prompted the deputy to initiate sobriety testing which Harmon performed poorly on. The deputy placed Harmon under arrest for DUI and transported Harmon to the Sheriff’s Office where Harmon submitted to an intoxilyzer test with a result of .16. The deputy transported Harmon to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Harmon on $25,000.00 unsecured bond. Charges: Driving without a License and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Incident: Warrant Date of Incident: 4 April 2016 Location: Salisbury, MD Suspect: Brian Preston Lekites, 36, Delmar, MD Narrative: On 4 April 2016 at 11:00 AM a deputy arrested Brian Lekites on an outstanding Circuit Court Bench Warrant that was issued after Lekites violated the terms of his probation in a burglary case. The deputy transported Lekites to the Detention Center where he was detained on a bond of $25,000.00. Charges: Violation of Probation

Incident: Warrant Date of Incident: 4 April 2016 Location: 700 block of Substation Road, Salisbury, MD Suspect: Matthew James Wilkinson, 36, Salisbury, MD Narrative: On 4 April 2016 at 3:30 PM a deputy arrested Matthew Wilkinson on an outstanding District Court Bench Warrant that was issued after Wilkinson violated the terms of his probation in a burglary case. The deputy transported Wilkinson to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner who detained Wilkinson in the Detention Center without bond. Charges: Violation of Probation

(Salisbury, MD.) Mr. Matthew Maciarello was recognized as the 2016 Outstanding Public Health Leader for Wicomico County at a ceremony held April 5, 2016 at the Wicomico County Health Department. The award ceremony was held in recognition of National Public Health Week, April 4-10, 2016.

Mr. Maciarello was recognized for his efforts in leading the charge to develop services and programs that address the opiate misuse problems Wicomico County is facing. Mr. Maciarello was honored for his personal response to overdoses and his close working relationships with public agencies to decrease the number of overdoses in the community.

“The Wicomico County Health Department has been proud to work collaboratively with the Wicomico State’s Attorney’s Office. Mr. Maciarello is an example to all of us on how to care for those in need and how to work together to reverse community problems,” said Lori Brewster, Health Officer. Mr. Maciarello is to be commended for his tireless efforts to improve the health of Wicomico County residents and for his accomplishment on being recognized as Wicomico County's 2016 Outstanding Public Health Leader.